Pedestal style electronics enclosures are used in telecommunications systems to house splices or terminal connections between service wires or distribution wires and buried telephone cables. Such pedestal enclosures can also be used to house connections to other types of buried utility cables such as for cable television, fiber optics or power distribution. A bracket system is generally provided on the interior of a pedestal enclosure to help arrange and support the cabling and various connections housed in the pedestal enclosure. Since pedestal enclosures are located outdoors, they must be substantially weather tight in order to protect the electronic connections from adverse environmental conditions such as wind, rain, snow and flooding. The pedestal enclosures also have to be relatively secure in order to guard against entry by unauthorized personnel and durable in order to withstand the wear-and-tear associated with being located in an outdoor environment.
Typically, pedestal enclosures include a base section and a cover that are secured together with a fastening or locking system. A bracket system is generally provided on the interior of a pedestal enclosure to help arrange and support the cabling and various connections housed in the pedestal enclosure. The particular bracket system used depends on the application in which the pedestal is being employed, e.g., cable distribution, cross connect capability, fiber distribution or splice capability. These bracket systems can be mounted in the interior of the pedestal enclosure in a variety of different ways.
Unfortunately, many existing pedestal enclosures are difficult to install and maintain. For instance, many pedestal enclosures require mounting stakes or other separate hardware to secure the pedestal enclosure in the ground. Many pedestal enclosures also are not readily adaptable to different field conditions and/or the requirements of different applications. Moreover, with many pedestal enclosures, it can be difficult to add, replace or update the wires, cable or other equipment in the pedestal enclosure once it is installed in the field. Similarly, components of the pedestal enclosure that are damaged or require upgrading such as wire channels or the bracket system can be difficult to replace once the pedestal is installed in the field. The locking systems of many pedestal enclosures are also awkward to operate. In addition, some pedestal enclosures do not provide the necessary protection against impacts, fires and the environment.